Afterwards: Peeta and Katniss
by Ginnycrazy
Summary: Rated T for safety and later chapters. I own nothing. Right after the first book ends. Peeta and Katniss! I'm sorry but I absolutely hate Gale. If you are crazy enough to think Katniss should be with him, don't read this. okay! Bye!
1. Chapter 1

He was slipping away from me. The boy with the bread was slipping away from me. The boy who kept me alive. The boy I kept alive. Peeta Mellark was now slipping away from me. Nothing about that sounded right and it hit me straight in the gut.

The doors started opening and I could hear loud screaming and cheering from all the people I knew. I squeezed Peeta's hand, knowing that it might be the last time I do. I can see the pain clearly in his eyes. I thought he was faking the whole thing like we planned, but no. But then again, I didn't fake the whole thing either. Many times, I wanted him to kiss me more when he stopped. Sometimes I wanted him to pull me closer to him in the sleeping bag. And sometimes, I really wanted to be with him forever. But who am I kidding? I'm never going to get married. Never going to have kids. Peeta wants those kinds of things, and he deserves them… but not with me.

We are now standing in front of all of District 12, and I scan the crowd, looking for Prim, and Mother, and Gale. That was the problem, Gale. I wanted to see Gale. Gale was my best friend, and I never thought of him in any kind of romanticism. I just missed him so much.

I find my mother and Prim in the front row of the crowd, holding hands out to me. Peeta let go of my hand as I sprint towards them. I wrap my arms around Prim first, and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from me. I look down at her and see that she isn't as skinny as she used to be. Peeta's father kept his promise. Good.

Then I feel tears streaming down my face and my mother wrapping her arms around us both. After what seemed like less than a second, we all broke apart. I wanted to hug them again. But I felt someone else's hand on my shoulder.

I turned around to see Gale smiling crookedly at me. I threw my arms around him and hugged him. He sort of helped me in the arena… at least mentally. He hugged me back. Once again, I had to let go.

"I knew you'd make it."

I smiled. "Well I didn't really do it on my own…" I looked around for Peeta, and found him with his family. I could see his father's tears running down his face as he hugged him. I had to admit, if Peeta wasn't an option, his dad would be my favorite. His mother and brothers hugged Peeta as well, so it looked as if it was a group hug. Almost everyone in his family was crying.

"Do you really love that guy?" Gale asked me. I was taken aback by it. Why would Gale really care who I loved? But the truth, I don't know. I don't know if I love him. I was just so caught up with the games I pushed my feelings aside. But now I have to figure them out.

I looked past Gale and stared at Peeta for a while. Gale tried to change the subject.

"I wonder why they changed the rules."

"It was probably meant for us." I responded, referring to Peeta and I.

"Well, yeah! But I don't know why they would for that reason. I mean, wouldn't it be more exiting if you had to kill your 'lover'?" Why was he talking about Peeta like he isn't a good person? Gale knew Peeta kept me alive. He saw it all!

"Why do you think_ I_ would be the one to kill? He could've killed me you know." I said calmly.

"…because he 'loves you' so much!" he responded oddly.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"What?"

"Why do you keep acting like none of it was real?"

Gale's face dropped. I turned back to my mother and Prim, not wanting to deal with this. Prim looked well fed, but very dehydrated. _I _looked better colored than her.

"Prim, maybe you should go get some water…" I told her. Her eyes were sunken into her face, and her lips looked as if she never smiled in her life.

She shook her head. It looked like she would be crying, but there was no water in her to do so.

"Katniss, you survived!" she said a little loudly.

"I promised you I would try." I told her. She smiled, which made my spirits higher. I hadn't realized how much I missed her.

I hugged her again and looked around the crowd, trying to find Peeta again. I saw one of his older brothers ruffling his hair and then putting his arm around his shoulder, leading him home. I wanted to go with him, because being far away from him was not in my nature. Losing sight of him was just confusing. In the games, if I didn't know where he was, I would lose it, and I would never really escape the games if he was killed. I am so dependent on him. I feel like he's the only one who knows me at all anymore. He understands my pain, and feels it with me.

Later that night, when it was getting dark, I was helping my mother pack our things. We were getting ready to move into the victor's house. I emptied the bathing water from the tub and dried it down. Once I was done packing things into it, like towels and sheets, I headed to bed. But I just couldn't sleep, not while everyone else was.

It was always me and Peeta in the sleeping bag. Now I was used to sleeping with him. (Don't take that the wrong way, people!) I can barely remember sleeping up in the trees on my own. But it was always one of us who stayed up. We always looked after each other.

After about three hours of trying to go to sleep, I couldn't stand being scared of closing my eyes. I sat up and quietly slipped out of bed leaving the room. I put on a jacket and walked out of the house. I needed to talk to Peeta. Just seeing him was mandatory to my health right now. Just knowing that he was okay.

I decided to go the back way, going to the place where he risked a beating to give me bread. I was almost there when I saw the tree behind his house, and the pig pen where he was supposed to put the bread. I stopped at the tree when I saw his back door open. I didn't know who it would be, so I jumped behind the tree. I heard a large sigh, and I tried to move a little closer to the ground, where it would be harder to see me, but I twig snapped under my feet.

"Who's there?" Peeta's voice asked tensely. I was relieved it wasn't his mother.

I don't want to know what she would've done if she found me.

I sighed and stepped out from behind the tree. I saw that his shoulder muscles were tightened, but then he saw me. His arms relaxed and his facial expression was unreadable. "Oh." He said. He turned his head a little so he couldn't look me in the eyes. "What are you doing here?" it wasn't a rude comment, just a question.

"…I… I couldn't… I just can't sleep." I responded.

"Me neither." He moved his head and looked at the ground. "Why couldn't you sleep?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Me neither" he said. "Why couldn't _you_ sleep?"

Did he really not know why I couldn't sleep? Did he really think I didn't like or need him anymore? The thought put a hole through my very heart.

"…Do you really not know?" I asked quietly, making sure I wouldn't wake his family. I could barely see his bright blue eyes through the pitch darkness. I started walking toward him. I thought I saw a hint of hope in his expression as he looked at me.

I had only been away from him for a few hours, and already I felt insecure and unsafe. But he had no clue I felt like this.

"Peeta… I know you think I don't like you… But you're wrong." I tried to keep my voice low and calm. "I can't sleep because I can't close my eyes feeling safe. I haven't even been away from you for a day… and I can't help but think when I turn around or close my eyes that someone is going to be there to kill me! I couldn't _sleep_ even with Prim with me. I've missed her more than _anyone _through the past few weeks, and I cannot even_ sleep_ without needing _you_ to be there with me!" I guess I could've said it a little differently, but at least it was quiet and I kept my voice under control with the whole rage thing.

Peeta's expression was a mix of confusion, happiness, hope, and a few other things I couldn't really make out.

We stood in silence for what seemed too long. I wanted him to talk to me, to hold me, and to take care of me when I did for him. It felt like he was the only one who understood me now, and that used to be Gale.

When I decided he wasn't going to say anything for a while, I started again.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" I asked… trying to get rid of the awkwardness that wasn't there, that should've been.

"Same as you." He responded bluntly.

I sniffled. It was cold out, almost as cold as the nights in the arena. I shivered. Like Peeta always would, being the good guy he is, he took of his jacket and put it around my shoulders.

Peeta was close to me, and it made me relax a little more. He looked me in the eyes for the first time since we got out of the arena. I'm sure this would make any other girl uncomfortable, but was my life like every other girls'? And was anyone else as close as me and Peeta??

I reached up and pressed my lips to his. I needed him right now. I would always need him. It was a light kiss, and when I broke away, my heals went back to the ground, because he was much taller than me and I had to stretch to get to his lips. I looked down at our feet.

I felt his fingers intertwine with mine, and he pulled me closer to his body. One of his hands came up to my face and pulled me back into the kiss. This time it was longer, and I didn't want him to stop.

No cameras. No people watching us. No pretending. No nothing.

Just me and Peeta.

Authors note down below. PLEASE READ.

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Sorry it was so short I've been like... extro busy lately...... One more IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!

_**I abolutely have no idea what to do for future chapters!!! I need ideas from my readers so I can update soon!!! Please please please review... tell me what you think, how i'm doing, and IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS!!!**_

_**Once I get more ideas from you guys I can update!! **_

_**PS: more reviews make me move faster and get more ideas!! just letting you know.  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning I woke up to the blinding sunlight through the window. I didn't get that much sleep, because it was the same as it was before I went to Peeta's house. After I left him, I got scared again. Everything was just so different now…

Today was the day that Peeta's family and Katniss's family would move into the victor's house. Katniss and Peeta would be neighbors, as well as Haymitch. That would be good… they all needed each other.

Katniss got up first and packed the last of the Everdeen belongings. Then she waited for Prim and her mother to wake up. Then she heard a knock on the door. She looked through the tiny peephole and saw Peeta waiting on the other side of the door. Katniss grinned and opened the door.

"Hey. Someone from the capitol just came to my house and told me to tell you that someone's coming to pick us up at noon. So make sure you're all ready." Peeta told her. Katniss didn't drop her grin.

"Alright… do you want to come in? Wait for Prim and my mother?" she asked. He objected, but took her hand and pulled her out the door. They started walking to who knows where… and Peeta kept his arm around her shoulders while hers was around his waist. They walked in silence for a few minutes then came to the fence they weren't supposed to go past. Katniss had so many memories beyond that fence.

Then, Gale came along the fence and saw Peeta and Katniss. He stopped in front of them and nodded at Peeta.

"Hey Gale!" Katniss said with a smile. She had forgotten about their row they had when she came back to District 12.

"Hey." Gale said without enthusiasm. Then he walked past them, bumping Peeta on the shoulder as he went. Peeta rolled his eyes and didn't say anything. They started walking again and Peeta was smiling, and Katniss didn't know why.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked. Peeta shook his head and smiled a little bigger. "Please tell me!"

"He… eh… just reminds me of someone I know…" he chuckled. He didn't make any sense, and gave him a look for more explanation. "Katniss, if I saw you walking around with him like I am with you now… I'd act the same way… but probably a little worse."

What was he talking about? Gale wasn't like that. Gale didn't like her. He was her best friend. Shouldn't he be happy for Katniss? Her face must've shown her emotion. Peeta laughed.

Katniss POV

"Katniss, you underestimate yourself too much. He likes you." Peeta told me. No he didn't. Gale was just my best friend… and I didn't like him like that…. He didn't like me like that…

"He does not." I mumbled. Peeta laughed again.

"He likes you." He repeated. I ignored him. I didn't want to discuss this. Gale didn't love me, I didn't love him. End of story. No questions there.

We walked in silence for a while until he stopped me. He turned so that he was looking down into my eyes. He was so beautiful, and I was still getting used to seeing him clean and uninjured… I must look so unnatural next to him, his big blue eyes and my gray ones…

He put me back into reality and took my waist, and my arms automatically went to his arms. He gave me a smile that numbed my insides…and then he kissed me. It was like the arena… when both of us weren't sick… how I wanted to kiss him… how it made my stomach flip over and over…

But look what I just compared it to. The arena. We would both never escape the arena. Everything would always remind me of the arena. Everything.

Then we pulled away. "I should probably get you home. We'll be neighbors in a few hours so I won't have to say goodbye as much." I smiled at that. I never wanted Peeta to say goodbye. And I didn't have to.

Once I got inside, I saw Prim sitting at the table with a bucket of Lady's milk. She had obviously just milked her this morning. Once Prim heard the door close behind me, she jumped up and flung into my arms. I hugged her for a while. "Mother's putting the last of our things in boxes. I just packed Lady too…" Prim told me.

Later, when a capitol moving hovercraft came to my front door. It was strange seeing something from the capitol in the Seam. How strange it must be for all of the people who have never been there…

Then we got to the Victor's Village. I saw Peeta and one of his brothers coming out of one of the houses, moving toward their hovercraft to get more boxes. We stopped in front of the wooden house next to the Mellark's. We were so close now…

Peeta saw my hovercraft and ran towards me. He helped me, Prim, and my mother out of it… And once we were… Prim jumped on Peeta. He was surprised by Prim's hug, but returned it. Then she explained. "You saved my sister!" And she hugged him again. "Thank you." I heard her whisper. Then she let go, and my mother gave Peeta a small smile and a nod of approval. That wasn't enough for him though.

We walked up to my mother, and I forgot that she had never met Peeta. And then it hit me. All the romance stuff in the arena… my mother and Prim saw that. _Oh that's awkward_. Peeta held out his hand to my mother and said, "Hello, Ms. Everdeen. I'm Peeta Mellark… I wanted to fully introduce myself."

My mother shook his hand and gave him a smile. "Thank you." And she didn't have to explain what she meant by it. I nearly died in the arena… I would have if Peeta didn't take care of me_. Good._ My mother liked him. But… I loved him.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note.

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews! I would appreciate more as well. You have all been such a great help and I love the ideas you all give me… I'm sorry I update so slowly and I'm trying to be better about that.

So here's the news. I am going on spring break I will have no access to any computers. So I won't be able to update for at least 2 weeks. But! I'm going to write some when I have time so there might be a few chapters when I get back.

PS: Thank you so much and PLEASE give me more ideas! All of you are amazing!


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